Sectional receptacle structure



Nov. 30, 1954 N. s. WATERMAN SECTIONAL RECEPTACLE STRUCTURE Filed Sept.6. 1952 NEIL 5. WZITEEMAN BY 5 United States Patent SECTIONAL RECEPTACLESTRUCTURE Neil S. Waterman, Stamford, Conn. Application September 6,1952, Serial No. 308,220

4 Claims. c1. 220-4 This invention relates generally to an improvedreceptacle forming a crush-proof article-receiving space for housing,displaying and packaging sundry articles or" use, such as cigars orother items which require crush-proof receiving space.

It is an object of the invention herein toprovide a receptacle capableof surrounding, protecting and displaying wares of types requiring suchprotection such as above mentioned and which receptacle is capable ofbeing opened, reused or discarded after the particular item iswithdrawn.

A further object of the invention is to furnish a number of receptaclesof the above kind combined or attached to each other and capable ofdistribution as a unitary package.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a receptaclewhich may readily be manufactured by automatic machinery and so that thereceptacle may be marketed at a low price, the device embodying a ruggedstructure which will assure the consumer that the item within thepackage is in unbent or uncrushed condition.

These objects and other incidental ends and advantages of the inventionwill hereinafter appear in the progress of the disclosure and as pointedout in the appended claims.

Accompanying this specification is a drawing showing a preferred form ofthe invention wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a number of receptacles combined toprovide a type of package for wares such as cigars.

Figure 2 is an exploded view in perspective of the receptacle showingthe members of a unit in separated position to form a single receptacle.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view of Figure 1 across theplane 3-3 thereof.

In accordance with the invention and the preferred form shown, numeral10 indicates generally the upperhalf and numeral 11 the lower half of ahollow body adapted to be detachably engageable for the formation of aframe to serve as a crush-proof receptacle. These hollow members formingthe receptacle are formed from rods of suitable plastic material such asacetate, vinyl, styrenes, polyethylene and the like and are of anysuitable shape such as square in a cross section. Each member 10 and 11is comprised of vertical rods, the rods of body portion 10 beingindicated by numerals 12, 13, 14 and 15 while the rods of body portion11 are indicated by numerals such as 12a, 13a, 14a and 15a.

The outer terminals of the rods of each member or unit forming thereceptacle are joined by suitable cross or bridge pieces such as 16, 17,18, 19 and cross-bridge pieces 16a, 17a, 18a and 19a respectively. Thesecross pieces serve as closure means for the ends of the receptacle.

Provision is made for the detachable inter-engagement between the upperreceptacle member 10 and the lower receptacle member 11. As shown andfor this purpose diagonally disposed rods 13 and 14 of body member 10and diagonally disposed rods 12a and 15a of member 11 are formed withrabbeted outer faces the reduced outer face portions being indicated bynumerals 13'14 and 12a and 15a respectively.

In order that the vertical rods of members 10 and 11 be in alignmentwhen these members are assembled to form the receptacle and in order toprovide interengaging means for maintaining the members in integralrelationship,

2,695,723 Patented Nov. 30, 1954 of the rabbeted wall portions 13 and14' while the extensions 24 and 25 are continuations of the rabbetedwall portions 12'a and 15'a. l

The finger extensions of each of the receptacle members cooperate withthe reinforcing bars of the opposite member, and for. this purposereinforcing bars 20, 21, 20a, 21a are constructed for detachable:engagement therewith whereby members 10 and 11 when in an engagedposition present a symmetrical appearance and the reinforcing bars 20and 21 contact and superpose reinforcing bars 20a and 21a.

Thus, hooked finger extensions 22 and 23 of'receptacle member 10 areadapted to engage the cross bars 2th: and 21a at reduced inner and lowerface portions 26 and 27 and inner and lower face portions 28 and 29respectively.

Hooked finger extension 24 is adapted to engage the bar 20 at reducedfaces 30 and 31 while finger extension 25 engages bar 21 at reducedinner face 32 and top face 33.

According to the structure above described, when member 10 is placed on11, the reinforcing rods align with one another in contacting engagementand the finger extensions snap into the reinforcing rods at the reducedportions so that vertical rods 12 and 12a, 13 and 13a, 14 and 14a, and15 and 1511 are in alignment while at the same time members 10 and 11are rigidly integrated. In order to separate the members 10 and 11, therods, being flexible, are suitably flexed and the finger extensionsbecome disengaged from the receiving means in the reinforcing rods.

Cigars or other wares as indicated by A are introduced in either half.member 10 or 11 and the other half is snapped in therewith to form acrush-proof receiving receptacle. It is to be observed that thereinforcing bars 20 and 21 and 20a and 21a may assume suitable shapes sothat when the bars are superimposed they form a suitable design such asan opening as shown in Figure 11.1 Of course these bars may assume anyother desirable s ape.

It is furthermore to be observed that in Figure l a package of fourreceptacles are formed as an assembly and the outermost receptacles maycontain a lateral crossbar such as 34-35. The combination of manyreceptacles to form a package is accomplished by providing fusion pointscapable of severance such as 36, 37, 38, 39, 40. When a receptacle isbroken otf the package the same cannot be reincorporated in the packageas indicated by the severed points 41 and 42.

When the receptacles are in the form of a package such as is shown inFigure l, the consumer merely breaks the end receptacle off from thefusion points if he wants to use the contents thereof. When this isdone, the both halves are released by flexing the vertical rods so thatthe hooked finger extensions disengage the reduced wall portions of thereinforcing rods.

It is possible to remove the whole upper half of the package ofreceptacles shown in Figure l for introducing a series of cigars orother merchandise in the lower halves. The upper halves are then snappedinto the lower halves and the package will not come apart while it is inthe possession of the consumer through friction or bodily movements.

It is to be remembered that each receptacle is a part of the package orassembly, and when a receptacle is removed from the assembly it willhouse and protect the item it encloses.

I wish it understood that minor changes and modifications in thematerial, integration of parts, combinations, sizes and design may allbe resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention andthe scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A receptacle forming a crush-proof article receiving space includinga framework of a pair of finger operable and resilient interengageableand aligned units, each unit having corresponding vertical rods andcross pieces joining the outer terminals of said rods to form theopposite ends of the receptacle, reinforcing cross bars joining theinner terminals of the rods of each unit, a pair of aligned extensionsof the inner terminals of the rods of each unit diagonally disposed andterminating in abutments, the abutments of the first unit detachablyengaging the underside of the reinforcing cross bars of the second unit,and the abutments of the second unit detachably engaging the upper sideof the cross bars of the first unit whereby both units are detachablyinterengageable. I

2. A receptacle forming a crush-proof article receiving space assetforth in claim 1 wherein a plurality of said receptacles areseverably joined at the sides thereof.

3. A receptacle forming a crush-proof article receiving space includingaframework of a pair of finger operr ,able and resilient interengageableand aligned units, each unit having corresponding spaced vertical rodsand cross- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS Number Name Date 1,940,242 Burgess Dec. 19, 1933 2,467,678Lockhart Apr. 19, 1949 2,530,481 Rawn Nov. 21, 1950 2,575,149 WatsonNov. 13, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country I Date France Nov. 2, 1943forming a crush-proof article receiv-

